This invention relates to the measurement of body conditions and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for monitoring body conditions, such as core temperature.
Core body temperature is an important indicator of a patient's body functions and conditions, such as for example, shock. A thermometer placed in the ear, nose, mouth, or rectum measures peripheral temperature, which is affected by extraneous factors such as ambient temperature and body circulation. Therefore, peripheral temperature is not an accurate indicator of core temperature. In order to provide an accurate indication of core temperature, it has been proposed to embed a temperature sensor in the wall of a urinary catheter at the extremity thereof inserted into the bladder. Electrical leads extend longitudinally through the wall of the catheter to an indicator outside the patient's body. The described catheter with embedded temperature sensor is substantially more expensive than a conventional catheter. For this reason it is desirable to use the described catheter selectively only on patients who require core temperature monitoring. However, it is commonly not known at the time the catheter is inserted in a patient whether or not core temperature monitoring should be prescribed.